A food blog of original, kitchen tested recipes with easy to follow instructions.

Eat!

Eating is a necessity. However, we choose what to eat. The choices we make reveal a great deal about us. The food you eat can tell quite a bit about your heritage, your family, your fears, your sense of adventure, your attitude toward yourself and others, and a myriad of other personal tidbits to anyone paying attention. Everything about eating is a glimpse into your soul.

I hope to reveal a little bit about myself to you through my food. I enjoy cooking. I enjoy eating. I find pleasure in bringing pleasure to others. I hope that by sharing my recipes I bring you a little bit of joy.

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

This recipe is at the request of my sister, Angelina.One of my favorite memories is making egg rolls in her kitchen.

Servings:8-10 egg rolls

Time:Prep: 20 Cook: 20

Hardware: Measuring spoons and cups, a cutting board and knives, a skillet or wok, a wooden spoon, a can opener, 3 bowls, a pastry brush, foil, a baking sheet

Healthy veggies all rolled up in a crispy crunch

3 cups shredded cabbage

1 medium shredded carrot (about ½ cup)

2 garlic cloves

1 green onion

1 tablespoon pickled ginger

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon + ½ teaspoon sesame oil

3 tablespoons of soy sauce

½ teaspoon fish sauce (optional)

2 teaspoons cornstarch

½ teaspoon sugar

1-4 oz can of baby shrimp (I use Geisha)

Egg roll wrappers (I use Nasoya)

1 egg

Cooking spray

Crunchy veggies!

Wash and shred the cabbage and carrot. Wash the green onion and slice it as thin as you possibly can. Chop the garlic and the pickled ginger.

Drain the shrimp.While holding the lid in place, rinse with clean water and drain again.Set aside.

Heat the olive oil and one tablespoon of the sesame oil in the skillet over medium high.

Sauté the ginger and garlic for about 30 seconds.

Add the green onions, carrots, and cabbage and sauté over medium high heat for 4-5 minutes.

In a bowl, combine the soy sauce, fish sauce, cornstarch, and sugar. Stir until the cornstarch dissolves.

Add the liquid to the cabbage mixture. Add the other ½ teaspoon of sesame oil.Stir until everything is coated and the liquid mixture thickens.Sauté until the vegetables are soft, but not soggy about 2-3 minutes.

Place the cabbage mixture in a bowl and allow it to cool.

Fold in the drained shrimp.

Pre-heat the oven to 400°. Line the sheet with foil and spray the foil with cooking spray.

Work with 1 wrapper at a time.Keep the other wrappers in their container or they will dry out.

Place the egg in the bowl and beat it.

Place the wrapper with one corner closest to you as if you were looking at a diamond.

Brush the wrapper with egg making sure to cover the edges.

Place 1-2 tablespoons of the cabbage mixture in the center of the wrapper. Spread out so that the filling isn’t a big lump in the middle.

Fold the corner closest to you over the filling. Tuck the wrapper in around the filling.

Fold both corners over the filling as if you were making an envelope.

Snuggly roll the egg roll up until it is closed. Be careful not to tear the wrapper.

Saturday, April 2, 2011

This is one of the simplest but tastiest sauces you will ever make.Pesto is one of Jeff’s favorites, so we use it often.You will, too. You can toss it over pasta, rub it on chicken before baking, use it as a sandwich spread, use it in place of pizza sauce, or stir it into Alfredo sauce.

Servings:1 cup

Time:10 minutes

Hardware:Measuring cups and spoons, a food grinder (processor or blender), a rubber spatula, and an airtight container

Ingredients:

2 packed cups of fresh basil

1/4 cup of pine nuts

3 cloves garlic, crushed

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

S&P to taste

Wash the basil leaves and crush the garlic.

Put the basil and the pine nuts in the processor and grind a few times.Add the garlic, grind a few times more.

With the processor running, slowly add the olive oil.

Stop and scrape down the sides with the spatula.

Add the Parmesan and grind a few more times.

S&P to taste.

Store in the airtight container, in the fridge, for a week.

Uses: Smear over chicken before baking, place a spoonful on top of individual steaks before serving, mix ½ cup with 8oz of cream cheese for an excellent cheese spread, toss with fresh pasta for a delicious side dish, mix a little in your mayo to use as a sandwich spread .

Rub both sides of each chop with the seasonings and one tablespoon of the olive oil.Set aside.

Heat the remaining olive oil in the skillet on medium high.

Place the chops in the hot pan without crowding them.The idea is to sear the outside.

Allow the chops to sear for two minutes.Turn them with the tongs and sear them for 2 minutes on the other side. Hint:Always turn meat with tongs.When you use a fork, you allow the juices to escape.This makes the meat dry.

Put the chops, in the same pan, into the pre-heated oven.Cook the chops for 5 to 7 minutes depending upon their thickness.

Check the temperature with the meat thermometer.Remove them when they reach 155°.They will continue to cook as they rest.

Remove the pan from the oven.Careful it is HOT.Place the chops on a clean plate and loosely tent them with foil.

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About Me

I am a teacher living in Florida. I love teaching and I also love to cook. This blog combines those two loves. My recipes are very detailed because I am not making any assumptions about my readers' cooking experience. I want my blog to encourage even new cooks to be brave in the kitchen.